Markree Castle

For 350 years, the Cooper family have been living in this mighty castle in county Sligo in Ireland , which is quite unique. The Castle lies in the romantic landscape where the poet Yeats found his inspiration, north of awe-inspiring Connemara and south of the beautiful Donegal coast, with the impressive cliffs of Bunglass and Magho. Closer by is the 30- mile long Lough Gill trail, full of variety and charm. It leads past holy Celtic sites, rocks, small lakes and charming villages such as Dromahair. Then, it passes Creevelea Abbey, the ruins of a Franciscan Monastery, historic Parke's Castle and the prehistoric tombs of Carrowmore.

The story of Markree therefore, will be a wonderful journey through time, starting in the 16th century with the invasion of Ireland by Cromwell. The young officer Edward Cooper served under Cromwell when his army defeated the mighty O'Brien Clan. O'Brien himself lost his life in this battle, and Edward married his widow Marie Rua (Red Mary). With her and her two sons he went to live at Luimneach Castle in Limerick, which is now a ruin. They were happy there, and later she even bore him a child. Cromwell's army marched on, further northwards, in spite of the fact at the time, he did not have the means to pay his officers. Instead, he gave them large pieces of land. Thus, he gave Markree Castle and the surrounding grounds to Edward Cooper. Until then, Markree had been a fortified outpost of the Irish McDonagh Clan, with a fort that was built on the banks of the river Unsin. Of Red Mary's three sons one died, the second was left the castle in Limerick and the third one inherited Markree Castle. Charles Cooper, the current owner of the hotel, is a direct descendant of the third son. After the Second World War, Markree Castle fell on hard times and it stood empty for many years, until in 1989, when Charles Cooper had the brilliant idea of transforming his ancestral castle into a hotel.

The entrance contains a monumental staircase, which leads to a wonderful hall, from where a second staircase in carved wood leads to the guestrooms. On the landing, a huge stained glass window depicts the family tree of the Coopers. The restaurant is a masterpiece and the cuisine is highly praised by those in the know.